Getting advising
Your faculty advisors, as well as other professors and the staff at the Cawley Career Education Center, are all available to help you in your career planning. Meet with your major and minor advisors on a regular basis to explore career options and the steps you can take to prepare for your future career. Some ways to start the conversation:
- “I’m not sure what I want to do after graduation. What are some options?”
- “I used to think I wanted to pursue [career field], but now I’m not so sure. What might be some other possibilities?”
- “I am thinking of going into [career field]. What can I do now to help me prepare?”
- “How did you get started in your career path? What do you like about your work? What do you find challenging about your work?”
- “I’m interested in [area of psychology]. What kinds of careers focus in this area?”
- “I’m interested in [career/area]. Who would be a good person to talk to, to find out more?”
- “I’m thinking of going to graduate school in [area]. What should I be doing now to prepare?”
- “Can you help me [find an internship, get research experience, etc.]?”
In other words, you can start the conversation from wherever you are right now. Advising is an ongoing process, not a one-time conversation. It is helpful to get multiple perspectives, as well, so feel free to meet with other faculty (not just your advisors), staff, and alumni to explore career options and plans.
Researching careers
Researching careers helps you identify your own career path and build toward your post-graduation plans. In addition to the materials provided here (see Exploring your career options: Generating possibilities), you can find out more about specific careers and jobs through:
- Career panels and other events: The Psychology Department and the Cawley Career Education Center hold annual career panels. Online career events are also hosted by professional organizations such as the American Psychological Association. These are posted as announcements on the Psychology Canvas site.
- Interviewing career professionals: One of the best ways to find out more about what is actually involved in a particular career is to talk to people who are working in that field. Once you have some ideas of particular careers or jobs that might be in your element (in the intersection of what you enjoy, what you are good at, and what you find meaningful), then look for people who are working (or have worked) in that type of job/career. You can find career professionals through your current social networks (friends of the family, referrals from professors, people you have worked with in summer jobs or internships, etc.) and through the Georgetown alumni network. You can search for Georgetown alumni through Hoya Gateway. Once you connect with a career professional, find out more about their experience – Cawley Career Education Center provides a thorough guide to informational interviews. For an informational interview, you would ask questions like:
- “What does a typical day at work look like for you?”
- “What are the best parts of your work?”
- “What are the worst parts of your work?”
- “What did you do to get where you are? What would you recommend someone else do to get where you are?” (Their field might have changed since they entered the profession.)
- “What should I be doing now to prepare? Are there other people I can talk to, courses I can take, extracurricular activities that would be helpful?” (This can provide a segue to potential connections or resources this person might have that could be helpful in your preparations.)
Choosing classes
Classes in Psychology and cognate fields provide not only relevant content, but also opportunities to develop job-ready skills. As noted in the Exploring Your Career section, your interests and career plans can help guide your course selection. In addition to the specifics of content, it is also worth thinking about how specific courses can be useful in expanding your skillsets.
- The Skillful Psychology Student (APA website): An overview of workforce-ready skills gained through completion of a typical undergraduate psychology degree program.
Consider the course assignments and activities as opportunities to develop and refine your skills and build your resume accordingly. For example, PSYC 2000 Research Methods and Statistics provides the opportunity to strengthen your research, quantitative, and writing skills; a number of other Psychology classes include similar research projects. The Group Process & Facilitation courses (PSYC 3730 and PSYC 3740/3741) provide training in leadership and management skills, as do courses with group projects.
Gaining experiences outside of the classroom (research, internships)
There are also many opportunities for experiences outside of the classroom that help you find out more about careers that might be a good fit for you as well as build workforce-ready skills. This might include student organizations (e.g., clubs), volunteer opportunities in professional organizations or conferences, research assistantships, and internships.
Research experience:
- You can find detailed information about how to gain research experience in the Georgetown Psychology Undergraduate Handbook.
- Internships, jobs, and research assistantships are posted as announcements on our Psychology Canvas site (for declared majors and minors).
Internships: There are many potential internships that would be relevant for Psychology students. Talk to your professors, your advisor(s) and the staff at the Cawley Career Education Center to think through the possibilities. Once you have an idea of the kinds of careers that interest you, you can more effectively search for specific internship opportunities.
- Internships, jobs, and research assistantships are posted as announcements on our Psychology Canvas site (for declared majors and minors).
- You can search for internships in Handshake and other databases at the Cawley Career Education Center website. Cawley also provides information on funding opportunities for internships and other summer opportunities.
- Check out listings on the Psychology Jobs and Internships website.
Explore the professional organizations listed in the Exploring Your Career section to find opportunities for volunteer positions and internships, as well.
Making connections (e.g., networking)
Networking sounds daunting, but it is basically about creating and maintaining professional relationships. You already have professional connections through your professors, classmates, coworkers, friends, family – you can build further connections through connecting with Georgetown alumni, working in professional associations, going to conferences, and pursuing internships or summer jobs. You can find more information about effective networking at the Cawley Career Education Center.
Applying to jobs
You can find extensive information on the job application process through the Cawley Career Education Center, including how to search for jobs, prepare application materials, and navigate the interview and negotiation process. Psychology job listings are also posted as announcements on our Psychology Canvas site (for declared majors and minors).
Applying to graduate school
The Undergraduate Handbook has extensive information about applying to graduate school.